Mars Hill Church expanding fast, preparing for ‘a great harvest’

Mars Hill Church, arguably Seattle’s loudest and fastest-growing church, is expanding to Everett. And Portland. And Orange County in California.

After that? Who knows, but the controversial church probably won’t be rubbing its belly and calling it quits any time soon.

Already, the church has eight locations in Washington — Everett will be No. 9. And a Mars Hill church in Albuquerque opened in 2009.

Maybe that’s what Pastor Mark Driscoll meant when wrote in a 2010 letter to his congregation that the church is preparing for “a great harvest.”

The Seattle Times has a story about the organization’s rapid expansion:

Mars Hill’s expansion has been marked by grand ambitions, technological and business savvy, entrepreneurial energy — and, some would say, occasionally heavy-handed business dealings.

Through it all, the charismatic Driscoll has been a controversial figure. His flippant and often caustic remarks on everything from the role of women to effeminate male pastors have created furors. But his vision and undeniable talent for preaching — he’s on Preaching magazine’s list of the 25 most influential pastors of the past 25 years — have also been key drivers of Mars Hill’s growth.